Women Can Now Access Birth Control Without a Prescription in New York

Women in New York no longer need a doctor’s prescription to get birth control.

Pharmacists throughout the state can now dispense birth control without a prescription to anyone, according to an order signed March 19 by the state health commissioner.

The order pertains to three types of self-administered hormonal contraceptives approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration: oral hormonal pills, hormonal vaginal rings, and hormonal contraceptive patches.

Pharmacists who choose to participate can give individuals up to a 12-month supply of the customer’s contraception of choice. Out-of-state visitors can also obtain birth control in New York—a major step forward in women’s ongoing fight for reproductive rights in the United States.

“Anybody can—you’re welcome to get a year’s supply,” state health commissioner James McDonald said at a news conference after signing the order. “You want to come to New York and get your birth control pill, you’re welcome.”

For years, it has been incredibly difficult for American women to access birth control. In conservative-run states, anti-abortion groups have raided reproductive clinics while state leaders pass laws to ensure women have no say when it comes to their bodies. And while those issues are far less common for them, women in liberal states do still struggle with high out-of-pocket costs for birth control, long wait times at fertility and OB-GYN clinics, a dearth of appointments due to high demand, and getting prescriptions through video appointments.

The birth control order comes as part of a major push by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state leaders to expand the availability of reproductive health care amid dwindling access to it elsewhere in the country. (Just last month, the Alabama Supreme Court threatened the future of egg-freezing and IVF treatment.)

Since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, Hochul has moved to protect abortion access in New York—signing laws to protect patients and providers, investing millions in providers across the state, and purchasing a five-year supply of the abortion medication misoprostol. This year, she also allocated $100.7 million in new funding to support abortion providers and reproductive health care.

Hochul joined McDonald at College Parkside Pharmacy in Albany to sign the standing order. “At a time when reproductive rights are under attack, New York State will continue to fight for every individual’s right to access the health care they need,” she said. “Starting a family is a deeply personal decision, and New York State will always be a place where people can access safe and effective contraceptives.”

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